REGION
Wednesday, June 22, 2016
HELIX — Two Helix students placed
sixth out of more than 100 entries at the
Kenneth E. Behring National History Day
Contest at the University of Maryland last
week.
Griswold High School students Caiden
Marks and Bethany
Newtson took home
the prize for their entry,
“The Historic Columbia
River Highway: An
Engineering Marvel
Opens Exploration
Through the Columbia
River Gorge,” which
won Outstanding Entry
for the State of Oregon
Marks
and coincides with
the centennial of the
highway’s dedication.
Griswold history
teacher Loren Kubishta
led Helix’s competitors,
which in addition to
Marks and Newtson,
included Mecaila Espey,
Jake Sprenger, Ashton
Marks, and Macey
Newtson
Tullis.
“More than 600,000
students from around the world competed
in ive categories: documentaries, exhibits,
papers, performances, and websites,” a
National History Day press release states.
“Less than 1 percent of those entries were
awarded the opportunity to compete in the
national inals at the Kenneth E. Behring
National History Day Contest. Competitors
represented the top entries from 57 afiliate
members, including every state, Washington,
D.C., American Samoa, Guam, South Korea,
South Asia, China, and Central America.
Nearly 3,000 middle and high school
students presented their work related to
the 2016 theme, ‘Exploration, Encounter,
Exchange in History.’”
Good Shepherd honors
host of volunteers
HERMISTON — Volunteers contributed
more than 14,000 hours to Good Shepherd
Health Care System over the last year,
representing about $300,000 in salaries.
The volunteers were recognized at a
luncheon last week, including those who
donated their time through the hospital
auxiliary, CareVan medical transport and
Vange John Memorial Hospice.
According to a news release, the auxiliary
raised $14,000 over the past iscal year
through gift shop sales, bake sales and book
sales. The money went toward medical
equipment at Good Shepherd. The group
also raised money for ive scholarships
for Good Shepherd employees wanting
to further their medical education and
community members wanting to go into the
medical ield.
“It is such a privilege for us to have
a volunteer group that is interested in
providing education opportunities for
our community and employees,” said
Kelly Sanders, Vice President of Human
Resources, in a statement. “This really
gives us an advantage of growing our own
employees and helping them achieve the
health care career they have a desire to
achieve.”
At the annual volunteer luncheon on
June 15 those volunteers were thanked
by President and CEO Dennis Burke and
updated on the state of the nation’s health
care system as well as Good Shepherd
Health Care System’s future, including new
construction.
Anyone interested in becoming a member
of the GSHCS Auxiliary can pick up an
Page 3A
HERMISTON
BRIEFLY
Griswold students sixth in
national history competition
East Oregonian
application at the hospital gift shop or
call Director of Volunteer Services, Cindy
Schaan, at 541-667-3690.
Hermiston airport closed
for construction
HERMISTON — Hermiston Municipal
Airport is closed for construction until July
9.
The closure is part of an ongoing series
of upgrades at the airport, which started with
Federal Aviation Administration funding
to move the taxiway to comply with FAA
standards for the distance between taxiways
and runways. The project has since expanded
to include moving and enlarging the fuel
station, new paving and new taxiway and
runway lighting.
Assistant city manager Mark Morgan
said the airport is also getting new signs
and paint after it was informed that the
runway must be renamed. Runways are
named based on magnetic heading, and after
decades of shifting magnetic ields on Earth,
Hermiston’s runway will now be Runway
5-32 instead of 4-22.
The airport has an estimated 30,000
takeoffs and landings per year, including
crop dusters, corporate planes, hobby
planes, 10 UPS freight planes per week and
helicopter trafic. The airport is currently
closed to all of them for safety reasons while
contractors work near the runway and there
are open trenches.
Grant helps Clearview’s loan
program with $8,400
PENDLETON — Clearview Mediation
and Disability Resource Center in Pendleton
received an $8,400 grant for its medical
equipment loan program.
This was one of 107 “Quality of Life”
grants totaling more than $735,482 from
the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation,
which funds research and helps people
living with paralysis. The local center in a
written statement expressed its thanks to the
foundation.
“Clearview provides inspection, cleaning
and repairing of equipment,” the statement
said, “and with this grant is able to buy much
needed parts for the continuation of this
program.”
For more information about
the foundation, go online to www.
ChristopherReeve.org or call 800-539-7309.
For more information about Clearview, call
541-276-1130 or 866-263-5935 or visit
clearviewmdrc.org online.
Landing Days ireworks,
music set for Saturday
UMATILLA — Blue Tattoo will headline
Landing Days in Umatilla on Saturday.
The Hermiston-based cover band, which
bills itself as “classic rock with attitude,” will
play at the Umatilla Marina from 6 p.m. to
dusk, followed by ireworks over the river.
Earlier in the day visitors to the marina
will also have the opportunity to watch
performances from a variety of local artists
from 1-4 p.m. Food vendors, ranging from
Polynesian food to elephant ears, will be on
hand.
The Landing Days parade will begin at
11 a.m. Saturday at the marina. The Umatilla
Chamber of Commerce is still accepting
entries.
Months ago the chamber announced that
Landing Days had been canceled for a lack
of volunteers, but after renewed interest in
the event, a scaled-back version was planned
for Saturday. The annual event celebrates the
history of Umatilla.
For more information contact the
Umatilla Chamber of Commerce at 541-922-
4825.
Court club ire accidental
By ALEXA LOUGEE
East Oregonian
Monday’s ire at the
Columbia Court Club north
of Hermiston has been ruled
accidental by Hermiston
Fire Marshal Tom Bohm.
The ire, while still under
investigation, appears to have
started from an electrical short
in the attic. Bohm said there
was a power strip, extension
cord and space heater all
within a three-foot radius, but
the speciic point of origin has
not been determined.
Columbia Court Club
owner, Steve Watkinds, was
back at the scene Tuesday
morning. He said he had “no
clue” of the dollar value of
the damage done. Watkinds
is waiting on the insurance
to conclude its investigation,
though he said the damage
to the front walls, roof and
beams seemed extensive and
the inside surfaces of most
of the building were covered
in a thick layer of black soot.
Fire Marshal Bohm guessed
the damage to be at least
$150,000.
Watkinds does not
yet have a timeline as to
when the business will
reopen. Member dues for
the roughly 1,100 club
members have been frozen,
he said, and nobody will be
charged while the facilities
are out of commission.
Watkinds planned to
meet with property resto-
ration professionals and
contractors on Tuesday. He
said damage was mostly
limited to the front half of
the building. The back half,
which includes courts for
racquetball and basketball
and the track, will mostly
require a good cleaning,
according to Watkinds.
The City of Hermiston has
allowed Zumba instructor
Robyn Crist to hold class at
McKenzie Park throughout
the remainder of the week.
Watkinds was hopeful the
city would continue to rent
out the park and allow the
club to run at least one class
a day, though those plans
had not been inalized.
Watkinds said he’s
trying to take things day
by day. Ofice manager
Mary Marsing is working
from home to ensure the 22
staff members of Columbia
Court Club will be paid on
schedule this week. “We’re
very appreciative of all the
support from the commu-
nity,” Watkinds said, “It’s
been phenomenal.”
EOTEC and Windy River Elementary
awarded $25,000 corporate grants
By JADE MCDOWELL
East Oregonian
The Eastern Oregon
Trade and Event Center and
Windy River Elementary
each received a $25,000
grant from RDO Equipment
and R.D. Offutt Company.
The grants are part of
the companies’ Community
Builder program, which is
designed to be “transforma-
tive and impactful” on the
communities the companies
work with, according to a
news release.
“Our
Community
Builder program builds upon
our value of community
involvement at RDO while
mirroring the passion of
giving back, which is the
legacy of my father and our
founder, Ron Offutt, along
with the other members of
our family,” Christi Offutt,
Chair of RDO Equipment
Co. and R.D. Offutt
Company, said in the release.
The grants are awarded
based on nominations from
company employees. Greg
Harris, Farm Manager for
Threemile Canyon Farms,
an R.D. Offutt Company in
Boardman, submitted the
application for EOTEC.
One of the EOTEC
project’s primary functions
will be to serve as home to
the Farm-City Pro Rodeo
and Umatilla County Fair, of
which RDO Equipment and
Threemile Canyon Farms
are sponsors.
“As a parent of children
who will be exhibiting live-
stock at the fair, I have made
a personal commitment to
this project,” Harris said.
“It’s a much-needed facility
for the youth and residents
of Umatilla County, and
I intend to be involved
with the project until it’s
completed in 2017.”
Hermiston Mayor David
Drotzmann, who serves on
the EOTEC fundraising
committee along with
Harris, said RDO Equipment
“continues to set the example
for corporate partnership in
our region” with the $25,000
grant, which will be used for
construction.
Rose
Corral,
from
Threemile Canyon Farms,
submitted the application
for Windy River Elementary
School in Boardman. She
said the money will be used
to build a play structure at
the school, which will be
open to the community and
creates a place for local
youth to “participate in
wholesome activities and
interact with each other in a
positive, safe environment.”
Principal
Brandon
Hammon said in a statement
that the play structure was
designed with student
involvement.
“Through this grant
we were able to go above
and beyond our hopes and
expectations and create a top
rate playground,” he said.
Along with the EOTEC
and Windy River, the Offutt
Family Foundation awarded
one other Community
Builder grant to the Great
Plains Food Bank Backpack
Program in West Fargo,
North Dakota.
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